Sep 2, 2014 - 5:10 PM
in reply to lilyjo
What time of year are you going? Makes a big difference.
If you are going during summer season (mid-June to end September) I suggest that you re-consider your pick of bases. Interlaken is a large, very touristy town that is a good place to change trains but that's about it. It is full of tacky shops, fast food restaurants, tour busses, and large groups being herded around. It is not on a lake nor in the mountains (although on a clear day you can see a mountain from there). Grindelwald is a bit better but is also very busy with traffic and tour groups. There is also a large construction project going on in the middle of town that has a huge part of the village torn up and reducing traffic to one lane (with the resulting traffic jams) It may be done by summer 2015 but it has already been going on for at least a year and doesn't yet look close.
Instead, consider the lovely car-free villages of either Mürren or Wengen. The views are jaw-dropping, they are far less busy, and will give you the quintessential Swiss mountain feel. You can't go wrong with either, we prefer Wengen. It is a bit larger therefor has a wider selection of amenities -- more restaurants, food shops etc.
For ideas on hikes and other things, please see the document I authored that moderator Arno has kindly posted here in a series of PDFs. http://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/tips-about-wengen-and-the-jungfrau-region-by-kim
As for airline, take whichever one flies into Zurich. Air Canada, US Airways, United, and a list of others do. Suggest you start by loading a trip into a search engine (like Expedia or YAPTA) and see what results you get. You won't find any non-stops from STL but look for flights with only one change. Then buy based on price and convenience, time-wise.
